Veteran pace bowler Zaheer Khan’s fitness issue has come under scanner since the time he joined Delhi Daredevils training session ahead of the IPL cricket tournament and the franchise today said that he along with colleague Mohammed Shami are still not fit for selection.
The franchise issued a press release today which states that the pace duo is nursing “minor injuries”.
While 36 and half years old Zaheer, who has not bowled a single delivery in competitive cricket since last May (incidentally in an IPL game), is said to be recuperating from a “niggle”, Shami is reportedly nursing a “minor knee injury”.
For the record, Shami has been troubled by a dodgy knee throughout the World Cup despite his lion-hearted performances. In fact, he was rested for a group league match against UAE due to the same knee injury.
“Zaheer has a niggle, but is progressing well and should be available for selection once the medical team has assessed him. Right-arm fast bowler Shami has a minor knee injury and is consulting a specialist to chart a quick recovery process,” the DD release stated.
When a DD support staff was asked, he said that they are expecting Zaheer to be fit by Delhi’s fifth match in the tournament while the timeframe for Shami’s comeback is not yet known.
Delhi Daredevils head coach Gary Kirsten was confident that the pair, when fit, will strengthen the bowling resources.
“We look forward to the return of Zaheer and Shami to the playing XI. Thus far the bowling unit has stood up well and made the most of the opportunities. The most pleasing aspect of our bowling has been the performance of the spinners and the younger fast bowlers,” team’s chief coach Gary Kirsten was quoted as saying in a press release.
Delhi Daredevils’ next match will be in Pune against Kings XI Punjab on April 15.
Man-of-the-match Deepak Hooda stroked a match-winning 25-ball 54 but was lucky to escape a dropped chance and a missed run out. Tahir rued the misses but said it’s part and parcel of the game.
“I think those two opportunities really cost us. If we would have latched on to them then the result would have been different. But I take nothing away from their win and Hooda’s performance. He took the opportunity and all credit goes to him and he turned the game around. Well done to him,” said Tahir.
If Tahir was the strike force then Amit Mishra was not far behind after picking up two crucial scalps. The two leggies have worked well in tandem and Tahir was all praise for his spin partner.
“I am enjoying the experience of working with Mishra. For me he is a world class spinner. We talk a lot with each other. Be it variations in spin or anything else, we discuss it all. It’s easy for me when he is bowling at the other end. In the two games he has bowled well and it has given me confidence to do well and that’s key,” he said.
“I have bowled with another leg-spinner in county cricket – Shahid Afridi. But he is a totally different bowler than Mishra. I have a lot of respect for Mishra and I am loving it,” said the South African.
It looked at one point that Tahir would single-handedly spin Delhi to a win but it was not to be. The Pakistan-born player believed that such moments are part of a cricketer’s life.
“I tried my best. I sure everyone in our team did that. Losses are always hard to swallow and every sportsperson has the same feeling. I promise things will change for us. We just need to be confident and back ourselves,” he said.
In the absence of senior pacers like Zaheer khan and Mohammed Shami, Jaydev Unadkat took a bit of a stick but Tahir back the young bowler and many such youngsters in the side.
“It is hard to pick on young Jaydev Unadkat. He gave us a good start today. Yes, if you have Shami and Zaheer in a side, you will always benefit from their experience. We are all waiting for them to come back and they are also working very hard. But at the moment we just need to back our youngsters and the available XI we have,” he concluded.